Biographies of The Management Committee and Other Officers

Please click on the names below to go directly to their biographies:-

Gladys Zonena Glascoe

An Honours Graduate in English of University College London, Gladys Zonena Glascoe founded Amity Reading Clubs in 1974, and is its Chair. Her vast teaching experience embraces the complete range from Nursery to Honours Degree level and includes extensive experience in remedial teaching. She is one of the most experienced professionals in adult literacy today.  So far as we are aware, she is the only operator in adult literacy who has taught initial reading.

Gladys pioneered the unique approach to adult literacy provided by Amity, and validates the educational integrity of our work.  

Specially for this Web Site, Gladys is writing the Gladys Glascoe Series; a cycle of papers covering the induction and training of a Volunteer over their first twelve months with Amity.

Married to Philip Glascoe, Gladys recently completed a diploma course in French at the University of Kent.

Philip Glascoe

A Chartered Surveyor, Philip Glascoe is married to Gladys Zonena Glascoe, Co-Founder of Amity Reading Clubs and its Treasurer. He has wide experience of the Charity and Voluntary Sector, and after eight years as Chief Executive of Thamesmead Town, a major property company, and a period as a Consultant.  He recently retired as Head of Property Procurement for the London Borough of Enfield's Property Services division, and has formed his own consultancy, Philip Glascoe Services Ltd.

Philip was formerly a Trustee and member of the Board of the Crossness Engines Trust, a charity restoring the largest rotating beam engines in the world, and the Grade 1 Listed buildings which house them.  However, he still retains his interest in this splendid project, originally designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette in the early 1860's.

When he isn't doing any of the above, Philip is a passionate golfer (who never seems to have enough time to play); an IT enthusiast; and loves France.

Peter Ross

A Volunteer at the Streatham Pool Club since 1996, Peter Ross became the Club's Deputy Supervising Tutor in January 1999 and subsequently its Supervising Tutor in March 2008.  Peter is a Consultant, specialising in occupational health and safety, and in that capacity, has recently rewritten the Club's own Health and Safety Policy.  In his spare time, Peter enjoys walking and travelling.

Emma had been a volunteer tutor at Amity's Streatham Pool Club for four years, when she was appointed as Deputy Supervising Tutor for the Club in March 2008.

Francoise Drysdale

A Student with Amity for seven years at our Streatham Pool Club, Francoise Drysdale is studying Bakery and Patisserie. Francoise baked and iced the cake used at our Twentieth Anniversary birthday party in November 1994. It was in the shape of a book and featured the Literacy logo.  Francoise became the Club's Student Representative in 1994.

Andrew Carpenter

Our Auditor since 1986, Andrew Carpenter is a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse Coopers, and is now seconded to the Treasury.   Married to Frances, and father to Rosie, he has provided us with valuable advice and support over the last ten years.

Adrian Walker-Smith

Adrian Walker-Smith joined Amity in 1974 as a Volunteer, but left us in 1978 to take a post-graduate degree in business management and finance at Tehran University. When he returned to the UK in 1982, he became Amity’s Financial Advisor, a post he holds to this day. Adrian Walker-Smith recently retired from his duties as a Civil Servant and was appointed as a member of the Parole Board in 2007.

Rose Wale

Rose Wale has been a Supervising Tutor for several Amity Clubs, but family commitments and poor health meant that Amity has had to take a "back-seat" for a while.  Happily, in July 2007, she agreed to be co-opted back onto Amity's Management Committee, bringing her wealth of experience to bear.